BEVERLY HILLS, CA — City officials have apologized to NBA star Jaylen Brown after shutting down an event for his sportswear brand, saying they received "inaccurate information." However, they still believe the event violated city rules and was rightfully stopped.
The Boston Celtics player was in Los Angeles playing in the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 14. That night, an event for Brown's 741 brand was held at the Beverly Hills home of Oakley founder Jim Jannard. Brown is also sponsored by Oakley, KTLA reported.
Officers arrived at around 7 p.m. to shut the event down, claiming organizers had applied for a permit for the event but it had been denied.
City officials iterated this stance in a statement, saying there had been problems with several events at Jannard's home.
Brown discussed the situation in an interview with ESPN:
“We didn’t need a permit because the owner of the house, that was his space. We were family friends. He opened up the festivities to us, so we didn’t have to. I didn’t have to pay for the house or anything. They just opened it up. I had to pay for the build-out, but it was hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted for an event that was supposed to be positive," Brown said.
On Thursday, Beverly Hills city officials issued another statement in which they apologized to Brown. Organizers of the event had not submitted a permit application, so there was no application for officials to deny, officials said.
However, the city manager said there were code violations at the event that justified it being shut down.
“The city’s previous statement about the weekend event at the Trousdale home was inaccurate, and on behalf of the city, I would like to apologize to Jaylen Brown and the Jannard family,” City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey said. “The city has a responsibility to its residents and neighborhoods to ensure adherence to established regulations for events held at private residences. These are designed to support the safety and welfare of neighbors and attendees. City staff observed circumstances that are believed to be city code violations and for that reason alone, the event was ended.”
Brown responded with his own statement:
"No proof of any alleged violation was ever produced to the homeowner, our team, or legal counsel. Without observation, documentation, or confirmed violations, enforcement action based on belief alone raises serious due-process concerns," he said.
He reiterated his stance that the event was a private, invitation-only one that did not violate any city rules.
Additionally, he said organizers had requested to hire an off-duty officer for the event, a request that had been denied by the Beverly Hills Police Department.